Gematria – Biblical Numerology
Hebrew and Greek are the only languages that have numerical values assigned to each letter of their alphebet. This was adapted by the early Jewish mystics
In gematria, each Hebrew letter is represented by a number (for example, aleph = 1, bet = 2, etc.). One can then calculate the numerical value of a word by adding together the values of each letter in it. In the realm of biblical interpretation, commentators base an argument on numerological equivalence of words.
If a word’s numerical value equals that of another word, a commentator might draw a connection between these two words and the verses in which they appear and use this to prove larger conceptual conclusions.
While gematria was used periodically in the Talmud and Midrash, it was not central to rabbinic literature. The rabbis occasionally employed gematria to help support biblical exegesis, but did not rely on it heavily. They were much more invested in the use of logical reasoning and argumentation to support their positions.
Much of gematria focuses on the various names of God and the powers of these names. The name Elohim adds up to the number 86, which equals the value of the word hateva (Nature). This equivalence leads to the conclusion that Elohim refers to the divine presence as it manifests in the physical world, as opposed to the name YHVH, which connects to the heavenly universe.
One could link thai to Rav Sha’ul’s teaching in Romans chapter 1 where he said that
“because what can be known about God is plain to them—for God has shown it to them. 20 His invisible attributes—His eternal power and His divine nature—have been clearly seen ever since the creation of the world, being understood through the things that have been made. So people are without excuse— 21 for even though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or give Him thanks. Instead, their thinking became futile, and their senseless hearts were made dark” (Romans 1:19-21)
The Bible and Numerology - Gamatria
When we read the Bible, we encounter both words and numbers. It is easy and natural to focus on the meaning of words, but numbers (as in this genealogical record) can appear unimportant to us. Many people do not realize that in ancient Hebrew numbers are represented by the alphabet letters and they spell things! Imagine that A = 1 and B = 2 and C = 3 and so on, but only in Hebrew.
Matthew (Matt. 1:17) highlights three spans of 14 (fourteen) generations between Abraham and David, then the same between David and Babylon, and then Babylon and Messiah (Matt.1:17). The triple repetition is the author’s clue to the symbolism of the number! The value of David’s name in Hebrew (דוד; David) is 14. Dalet (ד) is 4 + Vav (ו) is 6 + Dalet (ד) is 4 = 14. The gospel summarizes history in three sets of 14 (fourteen) generations all leading up to Messiah, saying “David, David, David”.
Although Gematria, as it is now used in some Jewish circles, was certainly not implemented at the time of gospel composition, we have clear evidence that some of its principles were already in use. Matthew’s theological point that he wants his readers to see in the Gematria he uses is that Yeshua (Jesus) is the “son of David” (בן דוד) the long-awaited King of Israel. He says this plainly in Matthew 1:1 and then demonstrates it through the Gematria of the genealogy that follows. When numbers are letters they begin to speak quite literally!
Some Amazing Examples of Gamatria in Action:
1) In Parshas Re’eh (Dev 11:26 – Dev 16:17), we are commanded to give Tzedakah צְדָקָה (charity) to the poor. The Aish Dos points out that the numerical value of the Hebrew word for a wealthy person, ashir - עָשִׁיר, is 580 (ashir is spelled ayin, shin, yud, reish; ayin = 70, shin = 300, yud = 10, reish = 200, totaling 580).
The word for a poor person is ani - עָנִי which equals 130 (ani is spelled ayin, nun, yud; ayin = 70, nun = 50, yud = 10, totaling 130).
The difference between a rich person and a poor person equals 450, which is also the numerical value of the Hebrew word tein, which means ‘to give’ (tein is spelled tuf, nun; tuf = 400, nun = 50 totaling 450). If we want to era’se differences between the haves and the have-nots, we just need to open up our wallets and give!
2) The Talmud in Chagigah 9b teaches:
There is no comparison between one who studies [a section of Torah] one hundred times and one who studies it one hundred and one times. The Kli Yakar, in his commentary to Deuteronomy 4:9, teaches that this idea of reviewing what we learn 101 times is alluded to in Gematria as follows: The Hebrew word for forgetting is shachach, which has the numerical value of 328 (shachach is spelled shin, chuf, ches; shin = 300, chuf = 20, ches = 8, totaling 328). The Hebrew word for remembering is zachar, which equals 227 (zachar is spelled zayin, chuf, reish; zayin = 7, chuf = 20, reish = 200, totaling 227).
The difference between shachach (forgetting) and zachar (remembering), is 101. If we want to erase the difference between forgetting the Torah that we learn and remembering it, we need to review it 101 times!
3) The Hagaddah that we read at the Passover Seder discusses the Four Sons the wise Son, the Wicked Son, the Simple Son, and the Son Who Doesn’t Know How to Ask. In response to the Wicked Son who sits at our Seder table and mocks everything that we are doing, we are instructed to blunt his teeth. Rabbi Elazar Rokeach of Worms explained this strange response as follows:
Many a wicked child isnt really wicked. Underneath the surface, beneath the layers of rudeness and rebellion, there lies an innocent soul. Even the most delinquent children have goodness at their core. It may be buried beneath layers of hurt and pain, but the soul itself remains pure. And all the lashing out and mocking that this child does the angry bite and fangs that he shows to all around him are only external manifestations of a poor soul who, often through forces beyond his control, has gone astray and rebelled against his family and G-d.
Our job as parents is to blunt and de-fang his teeth, i.e. to see beyond his angry, rebellious exterior to reveal the pure inner soul that has yet to come out. This can be seen in the Gematria as well.
A wicked person is called a rasha in Hebrew, which has a numerical value of 570 (rasha is spelled reish, shin, ayin; reish = 200, shin = 300, ayin = 70, totaling 570).
The word for a pure, righteous person is tzaddik, which equals 204 (tzaddik is spelled tzaddik, daled, yud, kuf; tzaddik = 90, daled = 4, yud = 10, kuf = 100, totaling 204).
The difference between them is 366. Beneath every rasha is a hidden tzaddik. We just need to remove the layers of evil and we will find his goodness.
Numerically, we have to remove 366 to get 204 from 570. So we must blunt his teeth. "His teeth" in Hebrew is sheenav, which has a numerical value of 366 (sheenav is spelled shin, nun, yud, vav; shin = 300, nun = 50, yud = 10, vuv = 6, totaling 366).
De-fang the rasha (the evil or wicked one), and you will find his inner tzaddik (a righteous person).
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